NEBE to Conduct Federal-Only Vote in Disputed Amhara-Tigray Districts

Addis Ababa - National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) has announced that five electoral districts contested between the Amhara and Tigray regional states will proceed with elections solely for federal parliamentary seats, following a directive from the House of Federation.

The decision, which addresses long-standing administrative and territorial disputes, limits the upcoming vote in the affected constituencies to representatives of the federal legislature, suspending regional council elections until jurisdictional questions are resolved. NEBE officials said the measure is intended to ensure constitutional continuity at the federal level while avoiding further escalation of inter-regional tensions.

The contested districts — located along the sensitive boundary between the Amhara Region and the Tigray Region — have remained politically fragile since the end of the northern conflict. Control over these areas has been a central point of contention, with both regional administrations asserting legal claims grounded in historical boundaries and constitutional interpretation.

In a statement, NEBE indicated that the House of Federation’s ruling provides a temporary legal framework under which residents of the five districts will exercise their right to vote for members of the federal parliament only. Regional representation, the Board clarified, will be addressed through subsequent legal and political processes once the territorial status is definitively settled.

Analysts say the arrangement reflects a balancing act by federal authorities: safeguarding electoral timelines while deferring resolution of one of the country’s most sensitive federal disputes. The move also underscores the constitutional role of the House of Federation as the arbiter of inter-regional boundary matters.

While some local stakeholders have welcomed the decision as a stabilizing step, others caution that lasting resolution will require broader political dialogue. For now, NEBE’s announcement signals a procedural path forward amid unresolved territorial tensions.